Here's the guide to Saturday's Gamecock Youth Indoor Challenge Finals. Watch the meet live on MileSplit SC. https://sc.milesplit.com/articles/328382
By Robert Urban, meet director
The Dorman Distance Carnival, now entering its eighth year, is a unique opening outdoor track meet that follows a format to showcase many of the best high school distance runners in the Palmetto state and beyond. The meet started in 2016 with only seven teams, but has now grown to almost 50 schools represented and over 700 athletes. The meet is billed as a "scrimmage," but don't let that fool you. In essence, this meet has become the "go to" early season opener for many top distance programs and runners in South Carolina.
The Carnival features eight different events ranging from 400-meters to 3200-meters, with the marquee event being the Boys and Girls Elite Mile races. This year we have added an Elite 800-meter run. At our track meet we race a true one mile race...an extra 30 feet added to the typical high school 1600-meter run. You might ask yourself why are we racing a true mile? The simple answer is that the mile is a classic distance that has a rich tradition in track; it is also a distance that even people outside of the running community can relate to.
Watch the 2023 Gamecock Indoor Track and Field Finals Live on MileSplit SC
In last year's Girls' Elite Mile we saw Zariel Macchia of New York put on a show, running away from the field to win in 4:57. And in the boys' 800-meter run last year, Saxon Brown put on a spectacular performance, crushing it with a victory in 1:56.03. Both were new meet records.
As our event has grown, with it the level of competition has also risen significantly. This year we have many of the very best runners in the Palmetto state and the Southeast toeing the line. Every race is loaded with a quality field of runners.
This year's Girls' Elite Mile features eight runners who have personal bests of 5:13 or better. Olivia Bufalini, from Wilmington, N.C., joins us again this year and is our top seed in the that race with a personal best of 4:57. Alivia Cleveland (Fort Mill), with a best of 5:02, should be able to challenge, as well as Kennedy Roush (J.L. Mann), Caelin Sloan (South Florence), Sofie Kurzawa (J.L. Mann) and Susannah Heinz (Augusta) being in contention as well. Add another seven girls with times under 5:22, and we will find out who is fit and ready to make a statement for the first outdoor meet of 2023.
Heat sheets | Watch 2022 Dorman Distance Carnival races
Could we see a repeat of last year when we witnessed an outstanding effort and the meet record of 4:57.22?
The Boys' Elite Mile is absolutely loaded. The entire field of 21 in that race is seeded between 4:18-4:33. It truly could be anyone's race, but I expect that the victory will come to the athlete who races with a combination of patience and intelligence. Our top three seeded runners - Sam Kolowith (Dreher), Jake Wadas (Wade Hampton), and Hayes Trapp (Augusta Prep) - have all run 4:18. The next seven seeded milers have all run 4:25 or better...Elijah Jones (Owens HS in N.C.), teammates Elijah Poore and Chance Bloodworth (Walhalla), Kahzi Sealey (Christ School in N.C.), Roman Brannon (Wade Hampton), Devon Sibley (Fort Mill) and Grayson Gibbons (Southside Christian)... can be in the mix to challenge. Is the meet record of 4:16.38 in danger of being broken? Absolutely...the question might be, by how much?
Last year's 800 was such a strong event that we have added an "Elite 800."
Our Girls' Elite 800 features half the field with seed times of 2:24 or better, with M.K. Huddleston (James Island) and Miah Johnson (Iron Sharpens Iron), our top two seeds, with both having run under 2:20 for 800. Keep your eye on the meet record of 2:19.59, set last year, because we could see a new one set on Saturday.
Not to be outdone, the Boys' Elite 800 is loaded up with seven runners coming in with personal bests of 2:02 or faster. Davis Puckett (Greer Middle College) and Trae Campbell (Beaufort) are our top-two seeds, both having dipped under 2:00 prior. Our meet record of 1:56.03 is solid, but with the right conditions, and a smart-paced effort, it could be threatened.
Other events have strong entries as well...
400: Seven boys with personal bests of 52 or better; Alandre Atkinson of Irmo is the number one seed with a time of 50.31...but with seven other boys with bests at 52 or faster, look for this to be a tight race. In the girls 400, look for the meet record (59.09 in 2022) to be seriously challenged by a trio of girls all seeded under 60 seconds, with recent transfer, and top-seed Olicia Lucas (Nation Ford), being the favorite as she makes her Palmetto state debut.
3200: The boys' race is loaded, with at least ten boys capable of going under the 10 minute barrier. Leading the entries is sophomore Mason Haynes from Nation Ford who ran 9:20 for 3200-meters on the track last fall; in the girls' race we have Ava Lindsey who ran a 17:34 5K in cross country, so if she is fit, she is capable of going low 11:00, or maybe even under it.
It looks like many of our meet records could be in jeopardy; the weather outlook is sunny and mid 50's by the afternoon, so our chances of seeing some outstanding performances is going up.
There is a $5 charge for spectators. All proceeds benefit the Dorman Track and Field program.
The meet records are on are the next page.